The Escape
by Sylo Corden
Summary: She is trapped in a world of men, he will release her from her forced bonds, one way or another . . .


When I woke it was night time.

It was always night here, the dark cages, and blacked out windows, no light ever entered here. And yet tonight, tonight I knew the moon was full, one large open eye of the goddess looking down on the simple creatures beneath her.

I shifted in my cage, disturbing a nearby rat, which scuttled away to a dank corner of the room, I watched it move from cage to cage, snatching mouthfuls of food from the dirty bowls that lay at their edges. The inhabitants paid them no mind, many sleeping, others too starved of life to care.

My nose twitched at the scent of an approaching man, my mind mentally labeling him the Fish, for he always smelled strongly of dead fish, his hands greasy and his tunic stained with blood and scales, of the men here he was the kindest, and would occasionally throw scraps of fish heads into the cages as he passed. His generosity with left over food however was his only decent quality, wary of the beasts locked up he carried a shock stick, with the end lit a dim blue. Newcomers to the circle learned quickly about the stick and what it would mean to the hide and hair it came into contact with. Fish surveyed the circle of cages around him, I lay my body flat to the base of the cage, but to no avail. His eyes fixed on me and a smile spread across his greasy face, showing yellow teeth.

I growled low in my throat, but this did not deter him, he pressed the shock stick against the side of my cage, the iron spreading the shock across my body. I clenched my teeth and resisted crying out in pain, my eyes locked in murderous rage at the man just beyond my reach

"You'll do" he muttered. He slid a hoop through the bars of the cage around my neck, ensuring I couldn't escape before drawing back the bolt.

I was led into a small wooden room, for the briefest second I caught a glimpse of the sky through a gap in the wall, the goddess's silver eye meeting mine for that briefest moment. The smell around me was full of blood, sweat and beer; beyond the door ahead of me I could hear the cheers of the crowd, the splash of beers and spirits and the swooning of red women. The door opened and a small boy came through, dragging a carcass of a mutt behind him.

The loser

I was pushed into the doorway and the door closed, the noose around my neck was released and I shook my coat. The sound of the crowd was immense; stomping of feet shook the beams above my head as I headed down the passageway into the circle of sand.

Above me the sky was open and for the first time in many months I could see the sky in full, the stars and the goddess. She was watching me, whether she was watching _out_ for me was something altogether different. For a moment I basked in her silver glow, pulling on the strength she had, and drawing it into my own fur.

The sound of growls and snapping teeth turned me from my bathing and I looked to see a trio of dogs, wild eyed and foaming at the mouth, each straining at the ropes that held them. Their teeth were stained with blood and their intent was clear. I took a deep breath as the ropes were let go, and the three pairs of jaws descended on me.

I raced around the circle, keeping their jaws just out of reach, one headed around to corner me, my teeth found his throat, pulling hard. My mouth filled with copper and the mutt yelped loudly, his paws scrabbling at my chest, raking a deep gouge beneath my fur. The screaming of the dog disturbed the other two who backed off momentarily as I shook the dog I held, the screaming stopped and the sound of the crowd erupted.

Now with two dogs to worry about I turned to face them, paws planted firmly, hackles raised and snarling, the two dogs now nervous began to whimper. A glass bottle flew through the air to smash against the wall beside me, the crowd now restless, wanting bloodshed, not cowardice.

A whistle went up and the two dogs raced past me to an opening that had appeared, leaving me alone in the sandy circle – the body of the fallen mutt was left where he was. The crowd jeered and the men roared into their microphone, the crowd roared back, re-invigorated as the gates behind me began to open. I sprung away from them to the other side of the circle, turning to face whatever threat the men decided to throw at me.

The shadow within the corridor was huge, the overwhelming smell of blood washed over me, the stench was excruciating. Before me the creature stepped into the moonlight, its antlered head faced towards the moon, its yellow eyes closed in brief bliss, savouring the light, and giving me time to assess this creature.

It stood on its hind legs, taller than a man, thin and gangly, its skin pulled tightly around its wiry frame, its huge pawed feet spread the size of dinner plates, each tipped in sharp claws. Its front legs disproportionately long dragged on the floor, claws sharp and covered in black blood – its head, held high, decorated with antlers as though it were a stag. It looked both noble and terrifying; its eyes set in deeps hollows. The roaring of the crowd began to die down as the onlookers drew in the sight of the beast before them

 _Wendigo_

My blood ran cold, this was a creature even I knew to avoid, this was no mere mutt, dog or even wolf, but this was something else, a creature shrouded in mystery. The circle was silent but for a few questioning whispers, the rope around the wendigo's neck was released and it opened its huge eyes, staring down at me, assessing me. It slumped to sit on all fours, it eyes watching, nose quivering trying to work me out, friend or foe.

 _Daughter of the moon_

I heard a voice within my head, the surprise making me tense, the wendigo before me narrowed its eyes

 _You would seek to kill me daughter of the moon? I who have done no harm to you?_

The creature was talking to me, in my mind I could see a picture of him, head proud, standing before a forest, looking over a mountain region, territory, _home_.

 _It is not my wish_ I admitted _but it is either you, or me_ I tried to picture the circle, the blood and the fights to the death that had been my world for so long, the caravans of travelling as the men moved from place to place to avoid the authorities, the crowds jeering and the smell of beer, vomit and death that surrounded the circle of cages in the eternal darkness we lived in. _My world_ I told him, the creature before me nodded and snarled. I felt sure that this would be the end of me

 _Attack me young one and I will ensure you are released from your bonds_

I had no choice but to obey, the crowd now had begun their jeering, and some threw bottles into the circle, the Wendigo looked at me hard for a moment longer before drawing in a breath, lunging forward it roared and snapped its teeth a whisker away from my face, a huge clawed hand swiping away towards my legs. My body reacted on instinct, bounding away, rolling beneath the belly of the creature to snap at a hind leg. The creature kicked me away and lunged. The crowd erupted into cheers and the boom of the microphone could be heard once more.

I was hit in the chest and sent flying to the opposite side of the circle, I shook my head to clear it and rubbed my eye against my leg to clear away the sand, the wendigo roared, a bellowing deep and guttural cry, but it was me or him, he raised himself onto his hind legs and howled.

He was open and I took the opportunity – racing towards him, leaping forward towards his throat, too late I saw his eyes snap to mine, too late I realised he had feinted as his huge paw whipped around hitting me in the side from below – the wind was knocked from my body and I hurtled towards the crowd landing amongst them.

The men cried out, racing away from me, clambering over each other to get away as I shook myself – I looked to the circle, the wendigo scaling the wooden sides on the opposite end – my first instinct was to race after the wendigo and finish the fight, as a cry went up beside me I realised something

I was out

I could escape!

I raced around the circle of seating, snapping at legs and hands as I went, leaping over the scrabbling people towards the south where the wooden doors lay wide open. A roar behind me had me turning to see the wendigo snared in a rope, held by Fish. I still to this day do not remember what made me do it, every fibre in my body screamed at me to run away, but I turned on my heels and charged Fish, grabbing his hands in my teeth and knocking him to the floor. Pulling and tearing at him he screamed and writhed beneath me, the sound of barking dogs drew my head up and I once again raced for the exit, on the heels of the wendigo, we broke through the throng of people into the open air. Beneath my feet was solid concrete and around to the north and west were huge buildings, skyscrapers, a city, to the south was open country, no cover, no ground to fall to.

I barked to the wendigo and turned north, not caring if he followed or not, but knowing it was the better option to hide, soon the sounds of the circle and the men were long gone, the only sound that of mine and the wendigo's foot falls as we escaped into the night.

 **A/N** : Hi guys and girls, this story is a one off shot based on a character I created for the latest Shadowrun RPG session I had planned, sadly the role play group have since split so I never really got to explore the character the way that I had hoped, but I might expand on this in good time.

For those that follow the story of Ghost I'm just finishing off some loose ends in the latest story so hopefully should have some stuff up soon (though this one I'll post by the chapter I think as I've been told it makes it easier)

Until then thanks for reading and as always leave a review or PM me, all suggestions welcome!


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